“My lady,” Anne’s voice drifted towards her where she sat, staring out of her chamber window. Caroline looked at her maid quickly and Anne looked down, still avoiding her lady’s eyes. Caroline suppressed a sigh at this. She wondered if even the maids blamed her for Beatrice’s misery.
“My lady, Lord Casterbridge is here to see you,” Anne got out at last, and Caroline’s eyes widened, her heart racing as she slowly rose to her feet.
“To… to see me?”
The question, she realized at once, was utterly ridiculous and she did not waste time waiting for an answer. Instead, she passed Anne slowly on her way to the parlor where her mother stood in the door impassively.
Behind her mother’s stony face, she could make out Sebastian’s broad shoulders. Geraldine Wentworth looked at her daughter sternly. Sebastian met her eyes over her mother’s shoulder and shot her an apologetic smile—one she returned hesitantly.
“Lady Caroline,” Sebastian said softly, and Geraldine moved to the side slightly—allowing Caroline to see her future husband. “I am sorry for the intrusion,” Sebastian continued. “But I felt it was imperative that we speak before the wedding.”
To Caroline, this was quite a relief and she glanced at her mother before looking back at Sebastian. “Thank you, My Lord,” she said softly. “I… I suppose that would be good. Please… do have a seat.”
Sebastian obliged, settling himself on the cushions and waited for Caroline to do the same. She perched on the edge of the seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching awkwardly between them. Caroline could feel her mother's eyes boring into her back, and she struggled to find the right words to say.
Geraldine stood suddenly, her face still stony. “I shall give you… some privacy,” she said coldly before moving through a door connecting the parlor to the next chamber. Caroline let outa shaky sigh. Sebastian looked at her with something akin to sympathy coloring his features.
“Lady Caroline,” he said softly at last. “I know that this situation… is far from ideal. But… I do want you to know that I am committed to making this… as painless as possible.”
Caroline’s cheeks flushed and she looked up at him shyly. There was something different about him—in fact, she now found that she did not mind his close proximity at all, something that was rather surprising seeing as how she always found Edward far too cloying when he looked at her so intimately.
“Forgive me for asking,” Sebastian said hesitantly. “But… I must know if you are satisfied with this arrangement.”
Caroline hesitated and her brow furrowed. “I am not sure,” she admitted softly, and he lifted his brows. An uncomfortable silence settled between them and it was Sebastian who broke it at last.
“Please help me understand,” he spoke softly. “You did agree to the arrangement out of free will, did you not?”
“I agreed,” Caroline admitted, avoiding his eyes. She released a breath before looking up at him. “You must understand, My Lord, I never planned this.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at him earnestly, and Sebastian’s brow furrowed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his eyes searched hers. “Lady Caroline,” he said gently. “I want you to know that I would never dream of forcing you into a marriage if you do not want it. If you believe that this union will bring you misery, I will go to your father and call off the engagement—scandal be damned.”
Caroline’s eyes widened at this. She could see from the look in his eyes that he was serious and it sent a comforting warmth to her chest. She flashed him a shaky smile and for a moment, she considered taking him up on this offer—telling him that she could not go through with the marriage.
Then Beatrice’s pale face flashed through her mind, and she shook her head. She could not be selfish. She had to think of her sister—she’d already hurt her enough.
“I appreciate your offer, My Lord. Truly I do. But I cannot accept it.” Despite her doubts, her voice was steady. “I must do the right thing now—by my sister. I cannot do anything that will harm her reputation. I will go through with this marriage, and I will do my best to be a good wife.”
At this, Sebastian reached out and took her hand in his. The feeling of his bare skin touching hers sent shockwaves through Caroline and her cheeks flushed when she thought of the way Lady Amelia felt when Lord Thornton touched her. Sheattempted to lift her eyes to meet Sebastian’s gaze, but her eyes got stuck on his lips when he spoke.
“I promise you, I will do everything in my power to be a good husband to you,” he said now. Caroline nodded absentmindedly. Her eyes were still fixed to his lips—the top made a slight cupid’s bow, while the lower lip was slightly fuller. She suddenly had the strange desire to reach out and touch his mouth, wondering whether his lips would be coarse and rough or soft and gentle.
“I will try to make you happy,” he was saying now and Caroline’s cheeks flushed.
“Thank you, My Lord,” she muttered at last, returning her gaze to her hands and pressing her thighs together in a futile attempt to rid herself of the odd feeling taking hold of her body.
“It means a lot to me,” she continued softly. His lips—those enchanting, mesmerizing lips—curled into a smile and Caroline looked up quickly. His eyes crinkled at the corners.
“Please call me Sebastian. We are to be husband and wife after all.”
Caroline returned his smile, the warmth spreading from her belly to her chest. “Sebastian,” she repeated softly, tasting the name on her tongue.
Before she could say more, a footman appeared in the door—wringing his hands nervously. “The earl has requested your presence in his study, Lord Casterbridge,” he said, and Sebastian inclined his head towards Caroline slightly before rising to his feet and following the footman—leaving Caroline rather breathless in the parlor.
Chapter 9
Sebastian was quiet as he followed the footman to the earl’s study. He silently hoped that once he was married to Caroline, these visits to the man’s study would stop. They only served to make him feel as though he had even less of a say over his own life, and it was rather frustrating indeed.
